The 2026 World Cup in the United States, Canada, and Mexico is set to be the grandest edition yet, but several of the sport's most luminous talents will be watching from the sidelines.
Chief among the absentees is legendary Polish striker Robert Lewandowski. The 37-year-old Barcelona talisman—who boasts 89 international goals and a glittering club resume featuring 10 Bundesliga titles and two La Liga crowns—saw his World Cup dreams dashed in Stockholm. Poland suffered a devastating 3-2 defeat to Sweden in Tuesday's play-off final, a result that likely draws the curtain on Lewandowski's major international tournament career.
He is far from the only A-lister missing out. Here is a look at some of the other marquee names who failed to punch their tickets to North America:
Gianluigi Donnarumma (Italy / Manchester City)
Despite an elite club pedigree and a recent £26 million transfer to Manchester City following a Champions League triumph with Paris St-Germain, Gianluigi Donnarumma faces familiar international heartbreak. The hero of Italy's Euro 2020 victory was unable to save the Azzurri from a disastrous 4-1 penalty shootout loss to Bosnia-Herzegovina. Astoundingly, this marks the third consecutive World Cup that the four-time champions have failed to qualify for.
Serhou Guirassy (Guinea / Borussia Dortmund)
Few forwards in Europe have matched Serhou Guirassy's recent output. With 62 Bundesliga goals over the last three seasons and a continent-leading 13 Champions League strikes in the 2024-25 campaign, the Borussia Dortmund star has been in the form of his life. Unfortunately, his prolific club form could not elevate Guinea through the demanding African qualifiers. The team crashed out in the first round, finishing fourth in their group with just four wins from 10 matches.
Khvicha Kvaratskhelia (Georgia / Paris St-Germain)
Another victim of a gruelling qualification cycle is explosive winger Khvicha Kvaratskhelia. Now plying his trade for Paris St-Germain, the Georgian maestro will miss the global showcase after his national squad struggled immensely in the qualifiers, securing merely one victory across six pivotal fixtures.